Sidelines: Local ties on Missouri squad

Rolla's Martin, Licking's Barnes on MGA Team for Southern State Junior Cup.

Dave Roberts

A couple of area high school standouts with Rolla ties will be representing Missouri in the Southern State Junior Cup this coming week at Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Miss.

The Missouri Golf Association (MGA) Junior Golf Team is made up of six boys and six girls players and will compete against teams from Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma on July 30-31.

For Missouri, the boys' team includes Mark Martin of Rolla, Ian Barnes of Licking, Tanner Elder of Jefferson City, Brett Windsor of Boonville and Taylor Woods and Bailey Woods of Warrensburg.

The girl players on the MGA contingent are Megan Keck of Sedalia, Taylor Hayes of Lake Ozark, Nichole Marquis of Moberly, Elizabeth Leath of Chesterfield, Jessa Kosmatka of Jefferson City and Brooke Thompson of Jefferson City.

The format of the tournament will be a four ball match play the first round, and the afternoon round will be an alternate shot match play and the third round will be singles match play. In four ball matches and alternate shot matches, the teams will consist of one male and one female on each team. The individual matches will be played male against male and female against female.

Martin qualified for the MGA team with his second-place overall finish in the Ken Lanning Junior Tournament last week at Oak Meadow Country Club. Martin was a Missouri Class 4 State Tournament qualifier for Rolla High two years ago.

Barnes will represent Missouri at the Southern State Junior Cup for the second year in a row and this summer is leading in points for 2013 Hieronymus Male Player of the Year, winning four Hieronymus Series events and placing third in both the Junior Amateur Championship and the Lanning Junior. As a sophomore this past spring Barnes earned all-state honors for Licking High School, finishing tied for second overall - along with Elder - in the Missouri Class 2 State Tournament. Barnes' mother, Tanna Roberts, is a resident of Rolla.

Keck is leading in points for the 2013 Hieronymus Junior Series Female Player of the Year after winning the Lanning Junior last week.